👶 Vet-Approved Guide to Orphan Puppy & Kitten Care in 2025 🐶🐱

Raising an orphaned puppy or kitten is both a heartwarming and demanding experience. In the absence of a mother, these vulnerable babies depend entirely on you for warmth, nourishment, hygiene, and early socialization. 🐾 In this comprehensive 2025 care guide, Dr Duncan Houston shares expert, vet-approved techniques to help you raise healthy and happy fur babies. 💕

🏡 Creating the Perfect Nest Box

Keeping your orphaned babies safe, warm, and together is essential for both physical and emotional development. Here's what to include:

• Enclosed box: Use a cardboard pet carrier or a tall-sided box to prevent escapes and keep warmth in. 📦
• Soft bedding: Layer towels at the bottom, covered by a puppy training pad or disposable diaper to wick away moisture. 🛏️
• Heat source: Place a heating pad under half of the box or use a warm water bottle wrapped in blankets. This gives babies the option to move if overheated. 🔥

💡 Pro Tip: A baby’s body temperature must stay above 94°F. If it drops, immediate warming is crucial to prevent shock or death.

🍼 Feeding: Choosing the Right Formula

Your orphan’s nutrition is critical. Specially formulated orphan diets provide the best results:

• For kittens: KMR® or Just Born® (powder preferred to avoid diarrhea).
• For puppies: Esbilac® or Just Born® canine formula.
• Mixing: Follow package instructions. Powdered formula is best mixed with extra water if diarrhea occurs.
• Storage: Freeze opened powder; prepare daily batches only.

🧴 If formula isn’t available, contact your vet or visit AskAVet.com for emergency options.

🍼 Feeding Tools: The Right Bottle

• Use a pet nursing bottle: Available at pet stores or vet clinics.
• Create a proper nipple hole: Use a hot needle or scissors. The formula should drip slowly when upside down. 💧
• Warm the bottle: Use a cup of hot water, not a microwave. Always test before feeding. 🌡️

🍽️ How & When to Feed

Newborns must eat frequently—every 2–3 hours during the day. Here’s how:

• Positioning: Feed right-side up, lying on their bellies (never like a human baby). 🐾
• Let them wake naturally: Hungry babies will cry or squirm. Don’t wake them. 😴
• Burping: Rub gently after feeding to release swallowed air. 💨
• Monitor nose drips: If milk exits the nose, slow the feed or consult your vet. ❗

⚠️ Warning: If a baby refuses 3 meals in a row, tube feeding by a vet may be needed.

🚽 Helping with Urination & Defecation

Newborns need assistance to pee and poop:

• Gently rub the genital area with a tissue or cotton swab to stimulate urination. 🧻
• Rubbing the anus may help if defecation is minimal. 💩
• A rectal thermometer may help stimulate movement in constipated babies.

Expect to help them eliminate for the first 3 weeks of life. 👶

🧼 Bathing Your Orphan

Bathing daily helps prevent urine scald and infection:

• Use warm water and kitten/puppy shampoo.
• Never submerge; sponge bathe gently. 🧽
• Dry thoroughly with a towel and blow dryer on low. Never allow chilling. ❄️

📈 Monitoring Growth & Weaning

Use a food or postal scale to track weight daily:

• Kittens: Should gain 50–100 grams per week. 🐱
• Puppies: Weight gain varies by breed, but expect 10% of birth weight daily. 🐶

Each day, they should consume 22–26 cc of formula per 100g of body weight.

🥣 Starting Solid Foods (3–4 Weeks)

When babies begin biting the bottle instead of sucking, it's time to wean:

• Offer soft-textured wet food (pâté-style).
• Mix with formula or smear on their lips to entice. 👅
• By 4–6 weeks, they should eat solids regularly.
• New homes can be found starting at 8 weeks. 🏡

🛡️ What About Colostrum?

Colostrum, the first milk, is packed with antibodies. If the mother wasn’t present at birth:

• Babies miss out on crucial immune protection.
• Extra sanitation is vital. 🧼
• Vaccination may start as early as 2 weeks.
• Some may need plasma transfusions to compensate. 💉

There’s truly no replacement for a real mother—but with your dedication and veterinary guidance, these babies can still thrive. 💖

🧠 Need Help or Have Questions?

Caring for orphaned pets is a big commitment. Whether you need emergency advice or daily support, AskAVet.com is here for you. 🧑‍⚕️ Download the Ask A Vet App for real-time guidance, vet-approved tools, and peace of mind. 📱🐾

You're not alone in this journey—help is just a tap away. 💬